India, Pakistan clearing decks before PMs’ meet

Army jawans patrol near the Line of Control (LOC) in Poonch. Pakistan has offered a joint investigation to probe the deaths on the LoC, but denied that its army killed five Indian soldiers last month. File photo

PTI

A view of border fence near the LoC at Poonch where five Indian soldiers were killed in an attack allegedly by intruders from Pakistan who crossed the de facto border and crossed the Line of Control in the Chakan-da-bagh sector of Poonch.

New Delhi wants Islamabad to come clean on LoC clashes

India and Pakistan are making efforts to address each other’s concerns before their Prime Ministers meet in New York later this month. The sticking point, however, is the killing of soldiers on the Line of Control (LoC). A convergence on this aspect could help interlocutors aim for a Prime Minister-level meeting that yields substantial outcomes.

India wants Pakistan to come clean on two widely publicised instances of Indian soldiers being killed on the LoC in January and August, and put curbs on anti-India statements by Hafiz Saeed, who it holds culpable for the 26/11 Mumbai attacks.

During informal talks, Pakistan took the view that soldiers of both countries were killed and both sides violated ceasefire. Therefore, it contended that need was to further beef up the existing set of conventional confidence building measures. It sought to project the release of over 350 Indian fishermen as a conciliatory signal and wondered why India should not release 50 of its citizens who had completed their sentences in Indian prisons.

Pakistan has also offered a joint investigation to probe the deaths on the LoC, but denied that its army killed five Indian soldiers last month. It also suggested that the U.N. Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan could be called in, but India did not accept it. India, however, does not agree with this stand-alone formulation of violence on the border, pointing out that it is linked to Hafiz Saeed’s attempts to send fighters into the Kashmir Valley. There is a qualitative difference, it says, to firing by the two armies. While the Pakistan army fires to push infiltrators into Kashmir, New Delhi says the Indian Army fires in self-defence or to check the ingress of Pakistani infiltrators. While New Delhi points to the prerequisite of a firm undertaking from Pakistan on ending violence masterminded from its territory in order to ease public pressure, Islamabad— talking of evidence of challenges to making conciliatory gestures towards India without any substantial progress on issues of discord — points to pressure from the Opposition-ruled Sindh province for releasing Indian fishermen.

The arrival of a Pakistani judicial commission later this week to cross examine officials about 26/11 has, for the time being, addressed India’s disquiet about the pace at which Pakistan is probing the attacks.

The case continues to drag on after the last public prosecutor was shot dead. Unlike last time, the commission will be allowed to cross examine the investigating officer, the magistrate who recorded Kasab’s confession and the two doctors who conducted autopsies of the nine dead terrorists.

Publicly, Pakistan has been more outspoken than India on the prospect of a meeting between Dr. Manmohan Singh and Nawaz Sharif in New York. It has been maintaining that Mr. Sharif suggested that the two countries should talk and fight poverty instead of each other.

Last week, Pakistan Foreign Ministry spokesman Aizaz Chaudhry confirmed that back channel talks were on between Satinder Lambah and Shehryar Khan.

On the New York meeting, he said: “As for the meeting [between the Prime Ministers], it has been the position of the Pakistan government that should an opportunity arise, we believe such a contact between the leadership would be a welcome opportunity to discuss all issues that require urgent discussion and to improve relations between the two countries.”

It may be conceded that the comman people of Pakistan are keen to have peace with India. Nawaz Sheriff has time and agian expressed his keenness to negotiate; but neither the Government has any control nor the public opinion is articulated strong enough to contain the jihadists or the belligerence of the military. Under the circumstances, it is rather circumspect, to expect any improvement in the border situation. Not withstanding the meet between the two PMs, if such a meet does take place, Nawaz Sheriff has to create an environment in his country, where he is able to assert civil government's superiority and also where public opinion strongly condemns the evil designs of the Army and the fundamentalists, for any peace process to succeed.

from:
M.R.Sampath

Posted on: Sep 3, 2013 at 12:42 IST

Pakistan is a tested and proven hostile neighbor . The meeting it seems is being arranged by third party to pressurize to refrain both specially India to refrain from counteracting Pakistan's aggression and starting military confrontation.It is for our Indian government to come under pressure or not.I think there is no point in meeting an utter liar counter- part. Our military should be given full freedom to perform its duties at the borders and make this a perpetual practice to remain on guard .

from:
Shiv Charan Das Sharma

Posted on: Sep 3, 2013 at 11:02 IST

Why does 'The Hindu' not allow to reply or negate an absurd comment made by somebody on a news article?

I have noticed that on this news forum, a Pakistani has repeatedly been making absurd comments by imposting as an Indian (using an Indian sounding name), for quite some time. In every comment posted by him, he sounds like a spokesperson of his country making all those propagandist lies against India but carefully using soft language so as not to be obvious. Even in this news article, we find his comment appearing. I don't mind a comment of a Pakistani appearing here, in fact it is welcome. But it extremely annoys me if the person makes that comment deceptively by hiding behind a fake Indian Identity. 'The Hindu' is requested to be cautious about this and not to publish comments by deceptive imposters.

from:
Saeed

Posted on: Sep 3, 2013 at 10:55 IST

An op-ed in The Hindu persuaded me that India should not insist on preconditions for a meeting between the two sides at any level. OK. Let the PMs meet - without preconditions. Dr Singh should wait for Mr Sharif to "come clean on LoC clashes", as the report says. If Mr Sharif does not, all that Dr Singh can do is to terminate the proceedings civilly and disperse. We shall then know that Pakistan does not mean business. But let us give Mr Sharif a chance and let him show what he can do to meet India's expectations. He is fully aware of what India expects. Dr Singh need not in New York point out what India expects. It should be left to Mr Sharif's discretion to decide what he can do and what he cannot do. Dr Singh will have to decide right then and there whether Mr Sharif's response has been adequate or not. We should be guided by Dr Singh's judgement based on Mr Sharif's response, which should be reported to the Indian people.

from:
V. C. Bhutani

Posted on: Sep 3, 2013 at 10:44 IST

I don't understand why we still try to believe the icorrigible neighbour. We can not be friends anymore, we have crossed all the limits to forget our differences. The sorrow of the families of our martyred soldiers must be respected. Their martyrdom must be respected. GOI must represent our views, not what the PM or his party (and its coveted leaders) thinks.

from:
Arvind Rajput

Posted on: Sep 3, 2013 at 10:02 IST

Paksitan wanted to equate itself with India over LOC.First let their be a MOU on keeping at least a 3 km off of the LOC for a peaceful solution on the J&K Border and ensure that terrorists do no take advantage of their keeping themselves at a distance and they have to put down the terrorsim across the LOC first,since terrorists comes in the same army dress of Pakistan and vice versa on Pakistan border.
Once a shoot at sight by Indian army is enusured, there may not be any further incidence by the reported terrorists who are initiating the conflict.

from:
vaidya

Posted on: Sep 3, 2013 at 09:31 IST

Pakistan and India should sit down showing respect to each other's sovereignty and promise not to destabilize their neighbor by exporting terror.

Pakistan has offered a joint investigation and India rejects then Pakistan wants international mediation which India avoids to not publicize Kashmir Issue. Being stubborn will not help India neither it should try not to address Pakistan's concerns. India's exporting terror in Pakistan has been acknowledged by Chuck Hagel U.S defense secretary, it should stop.

Trade not war should be the goal. Let the negative propaganda stop and give breather to the Indian government which is under immense pressure by hard liners and army not to show gestures of peace toward Pakistan. At the end people in Pak and India are losers if their governments don't show courage to take bold steps toward peace. Peace is the way to go. Let India show respect and flexibility toward her smaller neighbors to earn respect.